The Meaning of Psalms 12:4 Explained

Psalms 12:4

KJV: Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?

YLT: Who said, 'By our tongue we do mightily: Our lips are our own; who is lord over us?'

Darby: Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail, our lips are our own: who is lord over us?

ASV: Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; Our lips are our own: who is lord over us?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Who have said,  With our tongue  will we prevail;  our lips  [are] our own: who [is] lord  over us? 

What does Psalms 12:4 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 12:1-8 - God Our Refuge And Defense
The first of these is a debate between fear and faith, and dates from Saul's persecutions. Timid friends, anxious for David's safety, urged him to flee to the mountains. Such counsels of expediency are frequently given to the servants of God, Nehemiah 6:1-19. Luther's diaries are full of such references. But unless our duty is performed, we must stand our ground; we "can do no other." We must remember that God's love is with us, and that He always exchanges glances of love with His suffering ones. Compare Psalms 11:7 with Exodus 3:7.
The opening words of the next psalm appeal for help in bad and evil days. See Micah 7:2. A double heart is literally "a heart and a heart," Psalms 12:2. Let us be true in act and speech, else we forfeit the Spirit of truth, Ephesians 4:25; Colossians 3:9. Our sighing will make God arise, Acts 7:56. We shall be helped and kept, Psalms 12:7 and Isaiah 54:17. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 12

1  David, destitute of human comfort, craves help of God
3  He comforts himself with God's promises, and his judgments on the wicked

What do the individual words in Psalms 12:4 mean?

who have said with our tongue we will prevail Our lips [are] our own who [is] lord over us
אֲשֶׁ֤ר אָֽמְר֨וּ ׀ לִלְשֹׁנֵ֣נוּ נַ֭גְבִּיר שְׂפָתֵ֣ינוּ אִתָּ֑נוּ מִ֖י אָד֣וֹן לָֽנוּ

אָֽמְר֨וּ ׀  have  said 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לִלְשֹׁנֵ֣נוּ  with  our  tongue 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common singular construct, first person common plural
Root: לָשֹׁון  
Sense: tongue.
נַ֭גְבִּיר  we  will  prevail 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, first person common plural
Root: גָּבַר  
Sense: to prevail, have strength, be strong, be powerful, be mighty, be great.
שְׂפָתֵ֣ינוּ  Our  lips  [are] 
Parse: Noun, fdc, first person common plural
Root: שָׂפָה  
Sense: lip, language, speech, shore, bank, brink, brim, side, edge, border, binding.
אִתָּ֑נוּ  our  own 
Parse: Direct object marker, first person common plural
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
מִ֖י  who  [is] 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: מִי  
Sense: who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever.
אָד֣וֹן  lord 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדֹון  
Sense: firm, strong, lord, master.
לָֽנוּ  over  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural